A Reflection on the Semantic Function of Color in Rumi’s Lyrics

Abstract

Color is one of the most efficient tools for artistic and literary creation. Although this element lacked its modern diversity in the classic Iranian literature, it has always had a determining role in literary images and inducing concepts to audience, especially in the realm of poetry. The investigation of the way color has been used in ancient and contemporary poetry is a groundbreaking attempt to enter the poets’ worlds of emotions and thoughts. Accordingly, the present study aimed at analyzing the contextual function of colors used in Rumi’s poems; the one who, after the mainstreaming movement of Sanaee and the pioneering efforts of Attar, uniquely enriched mystical poetry in terms of meaning and content. Reviewing his poems in this regard can help identify other aspects of his thoughts, experiences, and poetic features. The findings showed that Rumi has used different colors in romantic-mystical or didactic contexts. Respectively, the most frequent colors used in his lyrics are black, red, yellow, and green.

Keywords

• color
• mystical poem
• rumi’s lyrics